Lamar Odom is playing hard ball, or his agent is.  I was about to write about getting pissed by Lamar Odom’s stubbornness but this piece is so beautiful, please just read it.  It documents all my sentiments.

Although here’s a few of my thoughts about the negotiations:

Odom says it’s all business but his camp is ignoring business facts.  There seems to be no other market for him.  The Lakers are the only ones that can offer him the highest salary, so far.  And, the salary cap just decreased.  What, they’ll pull out an Ariza?
I like how Mitch Kupchak said that Dr. Buss only has this Laker team as his business, unlike other team owners who have business empires to support their teams  (Paul Allen, Mark Cuban, etc.).

However Odom might spin it, he is the fourth banana, and he’s getting paid big bucks for it.

Odom will not thrive in a different team.  He is already old enough to make changes to his playing attitude.  He will never be the main man whichever team he plays for.  He just don’t want the pressure.  Every GM knows that and paying big bucks for that effort will just not cut it.

He doesn’t work in the offseason.  Last offseason, he was chillin’ out in the beach when he should’ve worked on his jump shot.  This offseason attittude, together with his age, together with his just winning the championship, together with a new fat contract is a formula for a lousy performance in the upcoming season.

It looks like Jeff Schwartz, Lamar’s agent is negotiationg for his own commission, not necessarily for Lamar’s contract.

The Lakers blinked and increased their offer to $9 million plus, allegedly.  Yet, Lamar’s camp is not satisfied.  This is a bad time to be stupid.

Hey Lamar, you hired the agent.  You can control him.  Stop whining.  Sign that contract.  Listen to your friend Ron Artest.  If you can’t live with $9 million, you can’t live.

If the Lakers don’t sign Lamar, it’s not the end of the world.  They’re still a solid team with Gasol, Bryant, Bynum, Artest and Shannon Brown.  Yes, Shannon Brown.  They still have a big four.  They can win the championship with this team.  It just won’t be that easy.

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Kwame Brown’s house is on the market for $2,795,000.  Kwame, Kwame, Kwame.